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Me, a Crab

August 30th, 2016, 4pm

I always find myself back at the beach. Recently, it being my birthday, I decided to go to a beach I had never been to before. The idea of spending the day by the ocean appealed much more to me than some sort of party. As I always do when at the beach, I began to become very sentimental. I think this is because when I am exposed to beautiful things, I am inevitably inspired. I have yet to find a beach I did not find beautiful, at least in the slightest. Once again, I was amazed by the greatness of the ocean. I saw that I am miniscule, but I still leave footprints in the sand. Asking the ocean for a present, I was shocked to see a rather large crab walking on the sand so close to shore after the next wave crashed into me. I allowed myself some excitement, but was disappointed when the crab disappeared into the water as quickly as it came. I spent some time feeling sorry I had done nothing to capture the moment. I scolded myself for not taking action, telling myself that I could have called attention to it, taken a picture, or even made a grab for it. Eventually, I let go of this frustration, permitting myself to simply enjoy the gift and the rest of the day. I did not make the connection then, but I now know that I am like the crab. I was put here by a powerful and uncontrollable force. I will spend some time here, trying to figure it out. Then, seemingly just as quickly as I came, I will be gone. There will be nothing left of me. Except, I will leave a mark. No matter how small, I will leave a part of me behind. In this case, the crab resides in my mind. Maybe I will live on in a memory, or a cause. I will leave footprints in the sand. For that, I am glad.

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